The Assassins
by dawsonj26
Summary: They say love conquers all, but for some, it has brought only pain. Ortheus must face a sister he has been separated from for millennia. Percy fears he won't be able to protect those he loves. Thalia watches as her brother grows up every day while she is doomed to outlive him. Their lives have been driven by love, but now they must all face terrible trials as the Apocalypse Looms.
1. Prologue-Beginning of a Hero

**Full Summary:** It is said that "love conquers all." For Ortheus, Percy, and Thalia, it has brought nothing but pain. Ortheus has lead the Assassins for 3,000 years. A group shrouded in mystery that predates the existence of the Olympian gods, but a loved one from his past threatens to haunt is future. Percy Jackson has been accepted into New Rome to the delight of his mother and girlfriend, Annabeth. Even as he commits himself, he fears every day that he will fall short of everyone's expectations, most importantly Annabeth's. Thalia is forced to watch as her closest friends and brother grow older every day. All the while, she remains the immortal Lieutenant of Artemis, doomed to outlive the greatest family she knew. A threat to humanity has driven them together, but the trials they must face threaten to tear their souls. As the Apocalypse Looms, everyone faces the reality of not only losing their lives but themselves.

 **A/N-The world of PJO belongs to Rick Riordan and any characters that I use from the book, for the most part I'll be using oc or characters from actual mythology. The plot is 100% mine.**

 **Credit goes to thepurplewriter333 for her amazing betaness.**

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 _Is this thing on…?_

 _Okay, there's a red light! So…so I just speak into this thing…?_

 _Alright. Good._

 _Here we go._

Alright, look, I haven't got much time with this. Percy and Thalia are both waiting for their turn, so I guess I better get started. Before I start, though, Atalanta, if by some miracle of the fates you happen to stumble upon this tape, I just want to let you know that I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better brother to you. I...I wish I could have done more. I've missed you. I just hope you know that these past few months were the best of my life, even if you didn't realize it was me.

Oh, who am I kidding? You still don't.

Alright. I'll start now: My name is Ortheus, and I'm a son of Apollo. You know, the Greek god of music, prophecy, medicine, and a lot of other things that no one cares about anymore. What you're holding in your hands right now is the most important artifact you may ever carry in your entire life. Protect it with your life; whether you believe it or not, it's worth more than yours. Trust me, by the time we're done, you'll understand.

For you to understand, though, I need to backtrack to about... 3,500 years ago. It was the day I officially joined the Assassins. Not like Assassin's Creed – no, that's completely unrelated. The Assassins is a group of people coming from every pantheon. We hide from the world. Well, at least we used to. Anyways, we're constantly making sure balance is maintained and societal order isn't completely overturned. We also make sure that nothing tries to destroy the world, which is the situation we find ourselves in right now. I'm getting sidetracked though. I need to get back to the point.

So where was I? Ah yes, day I joined the Assassins. I still remember it vividly after all these millennia. The sun had set for the day, and my work in the field was done. I had tucked my sister into bed, finished all my nightly chores and turned in for the night. It had been a regular day, but it would soon become a very abnormal night. I don't know when exactly, but I remember hearing the faint sound of my mother screaming.

Now, before I continue, let me tell you something. My mother was no damsel in distress. If she screamed, it was for a very good reason. And that was what terrified me.

Without sparing a moment to think, I ran out of the house and saw a giant horde of monsters that had evidentially sneaked up on us. I wasn't sure what all of them were, but I could remember the dracaena, empousa, and I definitely remember the Manticore. I could never forget him.

I instinctually went for my bow, but my mother stopped me. "Take your sister and run!" she yelled. When I made a move to protest, she continued, "No, do not worry about me! Go!"

I wanted so badly to argue; there was no way she could possibly take all of them by herself. But then I reminded myself about Atalanta, only seven years old. Helpless, alone, afraid…if they somehow got to her first, I would never forgive myself.

I doubled back into the house to grab my sister. I didn't wait for her to wake up- there was no time. I dragged her off the bed and started to run, turning her in the other direction than the fight. I didn't want her to see what was going on, but she somehow managed to figure it out. Atalanta let loose a barrage of punches, kicks, and curses. She cried at me to turn around and help our mother. It took all my energy just to ignore her. My sister's safety had always remained as my number one priority and I was not about to change that.

We ran like this for longer than I could tell, until the monsters were nothing but specks behind us in the distance. Despite the monsters' small statures, they seemed to still be growing. No, not growing, but getting closer. They were after us. I loosed a curse to Apollo; who had he ticked off this time? And why did I have to pay for it? I grabbed Atalanta's hand and we began running again.

As we pushed forward, it soon became clear that there was nowhere near to hide. The monsters were gaining on us with ever-growing speed while we were beginning to tire out. I scanned the trees, but they were too thin to hide behind and the branches too high to climb. Besides, I'm pretty sure those dracaena had bows, so I wasn't going to risk it. The only thing going for us were the dense trees that managed to slow down some of the monsters for us, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

This continued for what seemed like hours, our situation growing more and more desperate with each passing moment. We finally reached a clearing towards a hill when I suddenly came up with an idea. I quickly dismissed it, but the idea remained, festering in my mind, growing, spreading. No matter how hard I pushed it back, it kept coming back at me. I looked at my sister with heavy eyes. It was for the best. Slowing to a stop, I knelt down beside my sister. I met her eye-level.

"Sunshine." A smile tugged at my lips at my nickname for her. I gave it to her for her bubbly attitude that always managed to brighten up my day.

"What is it?" Atalanta looked worried and turned towards the monsters that were catching up at a much faster rate now.

"I need you to listen to me, okay?" I looked her square in the eyes. This was important. I needed her full attention.

"O-okay."

"I need you to run away as fast as you can. All right? Once I'm out of sight, pray to Artemis. When she answers, request a place in her Hunters. She will certainly accept you. Now go! There's no time to waste!" I shoved her away, hoping she would listen to me. But, not to my surprise, I had no such luck.

"What about you?" She looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes, whose swirling depths were now full of worry and sadness. The lines that etched her forehead grew deeper and her blonde hair seemed to get darker. I hated it when she looked at me like that, like if I had done something wrong to her.

"I'm going to stay and fight off the monsters so that you can escape." I gave her another shove, hoping she would start running. But again, she didn't budge.

"I can-"

"I'm sure you can take them," I cut her off, shaking my head. "But you might get hurt, and I would never forgive myself if that happened. If you really want to help me, run away and don't look back. Please!"

I was practically begging at this point, but it seemed to do the trick. She turned around and began bounding away, just in time before the horde emerged out of the other side of the clearing.

I did a mental calculation. I had about thirty-two arrows, but I saw at least fifty monsters - maybe sixty. I would have to make sure every shot was a kill to even my odds, but I also had to make sure I stayed out of close combat. I did another risk calculation between staying in the clearing where I could get easy shots, but I would be unprotected. I couldn't run to the forest either because I'd be too far away to shoot.

I decided to remain in the clearing but still on the edge of the forest and released a volley of arrows. I started with the closer monsters in hopes of luring the more dangerous ones into range. Right now the Manticore seemed to be just out of range, but if I could coax him closer then I had a chance of taking down the horde. A slim chance, yes, but slim was better than the big fat zero that was currently hanging over my head.

I ran around the edges of the clearing, looking for any archers that might have an easy target for me. I glanced at the horde and tried to find out where those archers might be hidden. But my pursuit was lost when a volley of arrows sailed over the sky and dropped towards me. When I saw them coming, I just managed to dive into the forest for cover. The arrows sailed into the trees that lined the clearing. I continued to look for where they came from when I finally saw a team of archers hidden behind the monsters.

All right, they wanted to play dirty? Well then, it was time to show them what a son of Apollo could really do.

Taking one arrow, I let it fly towards the team of archers; I knew as soon as I sent it that it was a good shot. Rather than waiting for the arrow to find its victim, I shot another five arrows at the remaining archers. Within seconds, all of them in the monster horde fell, dead. Suddenly, the other monsters didn't seem too sure about attacking me anymore.

Looking for the toughest ones, I glanced at the horde's left flank where the Cyclops were. Twenty-six arrows and fifteen of them in total. I could afford to take them out. I released my next barrage of arrows at them. Carefully, I made sure to pick them all off with a single shot. I couldn't afford to miss, so I made a mental note to be careful. The beasts seemed to be slow to pick up why their fellow monsters kept falling and didn't make a further attack. More power to me, I reasoned.

A few minutes later, fifteen more piles of gold dust littered the field, and I was down to eleven arrows. Now was the moment of truth; I set my sights on the Manticore.

Right now, the monster was just within range, but I couldn't afford to miss him. I shot an arrow at him. The range was long enough that it would attract suspicion but short enough that it definitely wouldn't hit him. As an added bonus, the arrow hit one of the empousa, killing it instantly. I was afraid the Manticore might not buy the bait, but he seemed to grow confident.

Seeing my supposedly limited range, the monster began to make his way closer to me. All the while, I started to run in different patterns to keep the monsters from catching up, as well as to confuse them. When I saw that the Manticore was within range, I readied another shot. I stared down my target, inhaling, spotting the Manticore's center of gravity. If I could hit it, he'd go down.

I steadied my bow, took aim, said a quick prayer, and fired. But as the arrow whooshed through the air, I just knew it would hit the Manticore. The arrow was on a zip line, right towards the monster's heart.

Then, the one thing I didn't expect to happen... happened. The Manticore caught my arrow. Those things were flying at a hundred miles per hour… yet he caught it… there's no way he should have been able to do that.

I suddenly rolled my eyes, feeling like an idiot. Of course he had caught it. He was a Manticore. And looking at my situation, I realized there wasn't much else I could do now that I had wasted the shot. Nine arrows left in my quiver and there were still thirty monsters on the field. I knew I had to save one for the Manticore. If his reactions were that fast, I stood no chance against him in combat. I would have to get closer if I wanted any chance of taking down the monster.

The monsters did not seem willing to wait for me, though, and kept getting closer as their nerves calmed down. I searched for the next largest threat and found it to be the ten empousa with long fangs and really weird donkey leg things. I only had eight arrows to spare on them, the last being reserved for the Manticore. I would have to take out their strongest, and based on my observations, I knew exactly who they were. Finding my targets, I began to shoot my final barrage of arrows. I aimed for who I assumed to be the leader first. The empousa fell immediately, with three more of her sisters joining her. There were four more arrows and six more empousa. Staring the last of the horde, I released what was left of my arrows. By the time I was done, four more piles of gold dust littered the golden field. I had one arrow let. I counted about twenty dracanae, two empousa, and the Manticore. Seeing that my work with the arrows was done, I sheathed my bow and took out my hunting knives.

The two hunting knives I carried were celestial bronze hunting knives, twelve inches in length. They weren't great for range, but they worked well for speed and agility, which is where I also excelled. With my two knives in hand, I charged towards the horde. Maybe the Manticore would stand aside and let his minions do all the work. And for once, luck seemed to be on my side. He did remain behind, making my job that much easier.

"Alright, you weird donkey-vampires, let's do this." I twirled my knives in my hand, limbs trembling, and then I charged towards the empousa. When I was within range, I dived into a duck and roll. When my feet landed on the Earth again, I thrust towards the first empousa, impaling it immediately. I threw the knife in my left hand at the remaining ones, easily hitting it in the head and killing it. I rushed towards my discarded knife, picking it up just in time to block a strike from the dracaena. Using the monster's momentum, I shoved them past me and impaled it with my right knife. One dracaena down, nineteen to go.

Two more advanced towards me, both with celestial bronze swords in hand. I rushed towards the one to my left. Before the creature could strike me, I slid to the ground, gashing the monster's in it's slimy snake feet. Without hesitation, I impaled the monster in the back. Shoving it towards the other dracaena, the explosion of dust managed to distract them long enough for me to run and take out the other dracaena that was advancing towards me. While they were still in a daze, I managed to take out one more of them. I sighed; this was going to take a while. Adrenaline was pumping through my body, but I wasn't sure how much more my body could take.

This time, all of the dracaena advanced towards me at once. I was really screwed now. I didn't plan on giving up without a fight, though. I would send as many of these beasts back to Tartarus as possible, even if it was the last thing I did.

"That the best you got?" I taunted. "My grandma would be disappointed!" The dracanae hissed in rage...that seemed to do the trick.

More dracaena broke off to engage me. Three ran forward to surround me. I threw my knives at the first two, impaling them in the heart and killing them instantly. Rather than going for the knives, I kept running towards the third. When I was within range, the dracaena swung her sword at me. I simply rolled out of the way before grabbing her arm and twisting the sword out of her grip. I grabbed the sword and thrust it into her body.

Before the dust could hit the ground, I turned around to block a strike from another dracaena that had advanced ahead of the pack. The monster took another stab at me, but I simply used their momentum to trip them forward. I stabbed the dracanae in the back as it fell, taking out another monster. Twelve left. Spying my knives on the ground, I went to retrieve them. But one dracaena stepped in my way to intercept me, but I simply blocked her strike before disarming her and stabbing her through the stomach.

When I finally got to my knives, I duck and rolled, picking the weapons up in the process. When my feet landed on the ground, I instantly spun around, taking two dracaenas in their legs, causing them to buckle. They fell to my height, allowing me to stab them in the stomach. Nine more. I had managed to wipe out over half of their numbers. The Manticore still wasn't advancing, confident I wouldn't be able to hold out long.

I needed to come up with something else, though. These tricks wouldn't keep working and I was running out of new ones.

That's when I saw a tiny bronze reflection just a few yards from me. It was an arrow. _My arrow_. I wasted no time and ran to pick it up. Taking out my bow, I nocked the arrow and pulled the string back to its fullest extent. About 200lbs of pressure were aimed towards three dracaenas who were lining up quite nicely.

Without hesitating, I released the arrow at the three monsters. The whiplash was so great that it stung even with the gauntlet protecting my arm, but it worked. The arrow sailed effortlessly through the three monsters, reducing their numbers to six. I looked around me for more of my weapons, but I didn't see any in sight. I had to go back to using my knives to fight the remaining monsters.

Sheathing my bow, I took out my knives once again and charged. I swerved to their left flank where the weaker members would be. Apparently, even most monsters were right-handed since it looked like all of the dracaenas held their swords in their right hand. Running to the left flank, I shifted my weight slightly and thrust my knives with more force into the left most dracaena.

Five left.

Without waiting, I shoved through the dead monsters and impaled the next dracaena in the back.

Now four were left.

But before I could get to the next one, the dracaena managed to retreat and then surrounded me. I wasn't about to let them box me in, so I rushed towards the first one I saw. If I was going down, I was taking it with me. Before I could reach it, it backed away while the others began to box me in further.

When they were within range, I shifted my weight to my right foot and aimed to the left. Taking the dracaena by surprise, I was able to get through its defenses and kill it.

Three left. This strategy seemed to be working.

I threw my knife at the one that had been charging me from behind and killed that one too. As if by instinct, I rolled out of the way just in time for a dracaena to run through where I had been. I threw my last knife at it and killed it.

This was it. There was only one left.

I ran towards the knife that I had thrown last. I thought about picking up the other one, too, but realized there wasn't enough time. Taking it in my left hand, I held the knife in reverse. I charged towards the last of the dracaena.

As I had expected, it swung at me from its right. I blocked the strike with the flat of my knife while using my momentum to drive the blade through its neck.

That was it. They were all gone.

I took a moment to recover, and then walked over to my knife that was still on the ground. I picked it up, inspecting the blade. It was covered in monster dust.

Suddenly, a sound behind me made me jump. Someone was clapping. And then a malicious, icy cold voice spoke… and I knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Most impressive, son of Apollo," the Manticore said, and I turned stiffly around to face him. Apparently, the dull hag of meat could talk. "However, I'm afraid you won't live long enough to celebrate your victory. I'm sorry to say, but I have very special orders to kill you. It was fun to watch you play, but now it's time to end this." Call me crazy, but something in his voice told me he was not actually sorry.

"It's time indeed," I grinned, before charging towards my final opponent. In the rush of the moment, I had almost forgotten about my arrow. In one fluid moment, I drew out my bow again and aimed my last arrow.

There was no taking any chances now. I pulled the bow back to its fullest extent. The Manticore stopped in its tracks, staring down the weapon that was aimed right at his heart. Taking a breath, blocking out all other sounds and distractions around me, I shot the arrow. And this time, it found its mark. The projectile went through the Manticore with such force that the feathered end fell out its back.

Despite the fatal blow, the Manticore continued to advance forward just as dangerous as ever. He didn't even look like he was hurting. Searching for something to harm him more, I looked down at my bow but suddenly gasped.

The strings had snapped and the wood had splintered, unable to hold itself together under the weight of two full shots. The bow itself could be fixed, but I would need to find new strings – a privilege I didn't have right now. I threw it to the ground. There was no further use for it. Raising my two knives, I advanced on the Manticore who now was bleeding heavily as he charged me.

In hindsight, I should have just let him bleed out, but I definitely wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I was still high on adrenaline and the blood of war had filled my senses. I needed to kill it. I had to.

I charged towards the monster at full speed, and when I got within range of its tail, the beast threw a volley of poisoned spikes at me. I was able to dodge most of them, but one managed to catch me in the right leg, paralyzing the limb immediately. With a gasp of pain, I could already feel the poison beginning to spread. I only had a few moments before I was completely paralyzed… and then the Manticore would kill me.

I knew I had no other choice. I threw the knife in my left hand. In his weakened state, the Manticore was unable to intercept the blow and the blade went straight through its stomach. But to my horror, it still advanced. Somehow, someway, it was keeping itself alive. Limping towards me.

One knife in one hand, poison about to take full effect, one option left, I had no other choice by throwing my last knife. As it flew through the air, I collapsed.

I may have been paralyzed, I may have had no weapons left, I may have taken down an army of monsters, I may have done everything in my power to stay alive, but it still felt like it wasn't enough. I couldn't help feeling like I had disappointed everyone, including my family. Especially Atalanta. I closed my eyes.

But as I laid in a pile of golden dust waiting for my inevitable fate, I suddenly realized it never came. I couldn't turn my head to see what happened, but I sensed something. The air was still; the Manticore had died.

Relief flooded me. I had done it! Oh, gods, I couldn't wait to tell Atalanta. I could already see her looking up at me with those shining eyes of hers and claiming that I was the best brother in the world. I'd reply with a casual, "I knew I could do it all along," and she'd glow with pride.

But I only laid there, mostly because I had no choice. My leg wouldn't move at all.

But it was relishing lying there, thinking proudly about my victory. I could already hear the gods on Mount Olympus singing my praises, and their muses would write songs about me for years to come: Ortheus, the great son of Apollo!

In fact, I was so lost in my daydream that I didn't notice a hooded figure approach me until it was too late. And then, more come. And more. A swarm was already around me before I could even react. One of them took a vile out of thin air, bent over, and held it to my lips. I wanted to resist, but my body remained perfectly still, refusing to person forced the fluid down my throat; whatever it was, it was definitely not nectar. The fluid, or gunk, more accurately, tasted worse than cashew fruits.

It tasted nasty, but its magic worked even quicker than the poison. Within a minute, they were offering their hand and I was standing back up. But just as quickly as I stood I fell back down. My legs were like jelly, and my lungs threatened to collapse on themselves. Every single muscle in my body was sore from the fight, and I couldn't lift my arms without hurting them.

"You've out-done yourself, my good man," one of the hooded figures laughed. But it seemed to be a kind laugh like he was genuinely impressed.

The man removed his cowl to reveal a youthful looking face, just a few years older than mine. He had brown hair, fair skin, and startling green eyes. His built was athletic, and he stood half a head higher than me. From a first look, he seemed completely normal, but something about his eyes told me he was very ancient.

"I'm sorry, I should introduce myself first. My name is Roth. I'm the leader of these ragtag rebels known as the Assassins." He smiled wider when I looked even more confused. "What's your name?"

"I… I…" I swallowed. "I'm Ortheus, and what in Hades are the Assassins?" I had never heard of the Assassins before, and I knew a lot of things. They didn't appear in any of the stories that I grew up with.

"I wouldn't expect you to have heard of us," Roth said, almost reading my thoughts. "We like to keep ourselves a secret." When met with my blank stare, he went to elaborate. "You see, the Assassins are a group of immortal males that make sure balance is maintained throughout the Greek world and the status quo is not disrupted. Occasionally, we'll stop monsters and maniacs from trying to destroy the world, but not so often that it's a regular routine."

I hesitated. "But what does this have to do with me?

Roth nodded. "If you wish, you may join us. I saw your skills today, and even I'm impressed. So, what do you say? How would you like to be trained by the greatest heroes this world has never seen?"

"Will I have to take a vow of chastity?" I know it seemed random, but these men were starting to sound like the Hunters, so my suspicions were completely justified. Roth only laughed.

"I'm afraid you will." But his laughing eyes clearly said he expected I, as a son of Apollo, could not possibly take the offer. I mean, I was a son of Apollo. My blonde curls and attractive blue eyes could entrance any girl I was after. Not to mention my sharp jawline, athletic build, and natural tan. I seemed to be sculpted from the god of music himself.

 _Ow!_

Artemis just slapped me.

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I was not going to let a vow of chastity deter me. I had never personally been interested in romance. But I did have one more thing to say.

"So, let me get this straight… it's sort of like the male version of the Hunters of Artemis…"

As soon as I said it, I wish I hadn't it. I could have sworn that the shadows under the other's cowls got darker in anger. I instinctually took a step back.

"I would recommend you not mention them to us," he said in a warning tone. But he just as quickly before lightened up again "Don't worry about it. It's a rookie mistake. Believe me, we get it more than I like to admit. Some of these guys have bad memories of the Hunters, so I would just steer clear of the topic altogether."

"What sort of-"

"Don't even ask," Roth said, and from his expression, I knew he was serious. "So, will you join us or not? If you choose not to, no hard feelings. We'll escort you to a safe location where you will be able to start anew."

I considered the offer for a moment, but the choice already seemed obvious. Go to some town and live out a dull, boring life without my mom and sister, or join some of the greatest warriors ever and live a great life full of danger and adventure. I might even be able to see Atalanta again someday.

And so, I cleared my throat and made the best – and worst- mistake of my life.

"I accept!"

Roth smiled. He seemed like the kind of guy who I could trust and was already growing on me.

"Well then, welcome to the Assassins, Ortheus." Roth's smiled stretched from ear to ear. And for some reason, I felt pride rush through me.

Without prompting, the other hooded figures took off their own cowls to reveal nineteen teenage-looking boys; twenty, including Roth. I found myself surprised to see that they were all completely human, but some seemed entirely foreign. Roth seemed to be reading my thoughts, because his next words were, "You may notice that some of us look a bit...different. That's because we recruit people from all around the world, not just Greece. Believe me, there's much you still need to learn about our world. Don't worry though, we have plenty of time. Valdez, if you would please?"

Roth gestured towards one of the larger members of the group. Valdez had a giant but athletic frame with tanned skin. His brown hair was swept to the side, and two chocolate brown eyes danced with mischief. But I got the same feeling from his eyes that I got from Roth though; this man was ancient. Valdez's giant hands went to his pocket, where he pulled out a shining crystal and handed it to Roth.

"Now, fair warning, but this is going to hurt... a lot."

Roth didn't wait for my permission before he shoved the crystal into my chest. At first, I felt nothing, but that didn't last long. Within seconds, I was on the floor, screaming in pain. It felt like billions of tiny drills trying to dig their way into my skin. I could feel every cell of my body twisting, turning, and re-shaping. It only lasted a few seconds, but the pain felt like it had gone on hours.

Taking a few breaths, I steadied myself and let the pain gradually subside.

I look around. I didn't think I looked any different, but I certainly felt different. I wasn't sure how I knew, but somehow, a pleasant shiver ran down my spine. I don't know how, but I could feel my cells relaxing; they had stopped aging. I had become immortal.

"What was that?" I had meant to yell, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sorry." At least Roth seemed genuinely apologetic. "It's the only way we have to make you immortal. It's a bit unrefined, but it works. The pain you felt was every cell in your body being imbued with magical properties to make you immortal. Bringing in a foreign substance tends to tick off your brain, so it took a lot of...convincing."

It made a weird sort of sense, but I still wasn't happy with the pain I had just experienced. That was something I would never forget. "All right. So…" I felt a bit awkward. "What do we do now?"

I looked around, hoping for an explanation. Roth, as I expected, was the first to answer.

"We're going to escort you to our camp, which is just a few miles from here. After that, we'll all make introductions and start your training the following morning."

As he finished his sentence, I looked up as the sun rose over the horizon, breaking the power of night into day.

Roth laughed."Check that, we'll begin training after you've had enough time to rest. Follow me!"

I inwardly groaned, wanting to curl up in a ball at the thought of training after today's battle. I should have expected it, but I was hoping I would at least get some sort of orientation before they shoved me into the next level. Unfortunately, something told me they wouldn't go easy on me just because I was new.

I shook my head; I was part of the Assassins now. I was strong enough to do this, and I would.

I stood up to follow them to their camp, feeling both excited and worried about the new life I was starting. Looking at the sun above, I felt like a new man. One who was peeking his head out of the horizons as a new day, a new hope, begun.

 **A/N-** Chapter One is done! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this story. Please feel free to leave a review to let me know what you think and remember to favorite and follow if you enjoyed.


	2. The Life We Never Had

**A/N-So real quick. You guys may have noticed that the story looks different; that's because it is. Same concept, but I'm taking another angle on it. I hope you guys enjoy, please leave a REVIEW of what you think. Thank you**

 **-A big thank you to purplewriter333 for doing the beta for this chapter!**

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 **The Life We Never Had**

I stood at the top of the hill, watching the trees lining the horizon for as far as the eye could see. The sweet colors of autumn began to bloom as leaves took on different shades of red, yellow, and green. Standing from my vantage point, I felt the entire forces of nature swirling and dancing around me. Birds chirped at full volume, indicating the rise of the morning sun.

Smiling, I whispered a hello and waved at the sun. It had become my customary greeting to my father for the past 3,500 years since joining the Assassins. Ammon, my Lieutenant and second in command, stepped up beside me to admire the view.

"Sure is quite a sight," he observed, I couldn't help but agree. From a distance, one could forget the violence that was hidden behind the beauty of a forest, and for now, we could just soak in the beautiful sight and enjoy the morning.

"Almost makes you forget we're on this stupid mission," I grumbled, and kicked a rock down the hill. I watched it tumble and roll down until it was out of sight. Ammon watched with me carefully, shaking his head.

"So you do agree that it's a stupid mission," he finally said.

"Of course it's a stupid mission." I rolled my eyes. "What kind of person would want to go on these recruiting missions? They're boring."

Ammon threw a sharp glance at me before turning back towards the view. "Apparently you would," he remarked, kicking another rock down the hill. We watched it bounce down the hill again, secretly happy to have the distraction.

"Being the leader means taking the missions that no one else wants," I said. "It helps build morale, show them they can count on me. Besides, it's not like we do this every time- only once in a while." Despite my efforts, Ammon didn't cheer up. Who could blame him? It was a stupid mission.

I had brought him with me to track an Egyptian Magician who had been wandering around for a while. After searching his past, Ammon and I had discovered that both of his parents were killed on vacation in Alaska after a tsunami hit. This boy had been left alone to wander the world, living on nothing but scraps.

I had seen him in visions, and he clearly was in poor state. I had told Ammon it was a recruitment mission, but at this point it seemed more like a rescue mission.

"It didn't mean you had to drag me along," Ammon's voice said, breaking my thoughts. I only laughed, which made him pout even more.

"You're my lieutenant. You have to set an example, too." Once again, it didn't seem to make him feel any better.

"Then I resign."

I looked at Ammon in mock hurt.

"How could you do this to me?" I fell to my knees, forcing tears in my eyes. "I thought we were friends!"

"I should have done this years ago," Ammon laughed, and walked away while dragging me with him. I clung to his leg, and he looked down at me. "Let go!"

"You'll have to fight me to let go," I said craftily.

Without hesitation, he shook me away and drew his sword, as well as his magician wand. I drew my two katanas that I had earned in the 14th century from Masamune (a son of Hephaestus and legacy of Athena.) The sterling silver material glowed in the morning sun, radiating with energy. A flat celestial bronze rod had been morphed and twisted into the katana, giving it a hardened surface. It was nearly indestructible.

We began to circle around each other, feigning attacks. Eventually, we would engage in a full fight, but for now we were content with empty threats.

"Come on, Orthy, let's rid the world of your awful stench," Ammon taunted, spitting my former nickname at me.

I responded with the first insult that came to mind.

"Your mother is a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" I yelled before I could stop myself. I groaned, cursing my father. Being a son of Apollo meant I knew way more about pop culture than I cared for.

Ammon let out a howl of laughter at my reference. "I love that movie!" he cried. "But the funny thing is my mother did turn herself into a hamster once."

I laughed a bit, remembering the first time Ammon had told me the story about his mother accidentally turning herself into a hamster. After multiple fits of laughter and failed spells, Ammon had finally turned her back into a woman. A _very_ ticked off woman.

We shared a quick laugh, then Ammon let loose a battle cry. "I spittith in your general direction!" He charged.

Before we could intercept, all I could think was: Weirdest. Battle-cry. Ever.

We clashed seconds later, sterling silver katanas locked with celestial bronze. Ammon's staff morphed into a secondary sword and he swiped at me. Side-stepping the blow, I tried to get past his defenses but Ammon simply jumped back. We were back where we started.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" he challenged. "It's like fighting a white puffy cloud."

My eye twitched. I was not going to make another reference. I was not going to fall for his trap again. No more culture references.

No… no…

"Well this cloud is about to bring the thunder!"

…and I failed.

I could swear I felt the sun winking at me. Gee, thanks a lot, Dad. I only rolled my eyes back and charged at Ammon again, katanas held in a position to protect my lower and upper body. We met in the middle again, our weapons colliding at breakneck speed as sparks flew from our weapons.

I swung my right katana at Ammon's legs, hoping to trip him. But he easily blocked my attempt and launched a series of counter-attacks aimed at my torso and lower body. I was forced on my heels as Ammon's attacks picked up speed.

Ammon swiped low towards my feet, but I made quick work in side-stepping it. With his side exposed, I began to engage and put him back on his heels.

Grinning, I was about to finish the fight when I noticed a dark flash out of the corner of my eyes. I glanced at where I had seen the spot, only to find nothing there. Maybe it was only my imagination; I turned back to face Ammon. But while I'd been looking, Ammon had had enough time to recover and charged me.

We engaged again, but the black spot I had seen kept gnawing at my mind.

I pressed on, stretching out Ammon's defenses to try and find another opening. His fighting style perfectly matched my own, a product of training with each other for over three millennia. I tried to trip him again, but this time he jumped over my attempt. Luckily, my other katana managed to meet him while he was in the air and forced him to the ground.

Just as I was about to finish Ammon off once and for all, I saw the black spot again. This time it was larger, and still getting bigger. Staring back at where Ammon had been, I was surprised to see he had vanished. But after a quick look around, I noticed Ammon standing a few yards away, looking amused.

Suddenly, I realized just what the black spot was.

"Hey, no magic!" I shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

I was surprised to see that he looked genuinely confused. I had assumed the black spots must have been his doing, but he just looked as baffled as I did.

That's when I saw it again, even larger.

I looked at the sky, but it was as clear as a day could get. The air was dry and clouds were sparse. The sun was shining brightly, but there was no sign of any darkness. But then there was another spot, this time in both my eyes. I looked Ammon, worried, but the dark spots didn't even seem to register with him.

"Are you seeing these?" I asked, hoping my suspicions were wrong.

"Seeing what?"

Great. Just great. So either I was finally going insane after all these millennia of being surrounded by a bunch of idiots, or I was really seeing black spots.

Just as I was about to accept that I had gone insane, the black spots appeared again. This time though, they didn't disappear. I frantically looked around, trying to find the source, but every time I moved they moved with me.

Moments later, the spots began to pulse, growing larger. And slowly, they began to grow over my eyes. I could faintly hear Ammon calling to me, but it only sounded like he was underwater. I was mesmerized by the dancing black spots all over my eyes. They obstructed all sense of vision and reality. Every part of me was focused on this one phenomenon. I needed to see what happened next. What they were going to do, where they were going to go.

And then everything went black.

The dark silence was deafening, the world forgotten. Suddenly, the spots retreated to welcome an oppressive darkness. I could see for miles in either direction, and yet I saw nothing at the same time. The only evidence that I wasn't trapped in a small room was the light being emitted from my sterling silver katanas. It gave off the light I needed to check my surroundings.

Left with no choice, I began to wander around in hopes of finding an exit. The endless darkness seemed to warp and reshape around me as the light of the sterling silver invaded the area.

It was hard to describe exactly what I was seeing; it was cold, dark, and extremely lonely. The walls of darkness seemed to close in on me, only to retreat when I waved my twin swords. The cold frosty air bit into my skin like knifes, despite the thick cloak the Assassins used for cold weather.

I walked for what felt like hours, the eternal darkness unrelenting. The scene remained unchanged no matter where I turned and regardless of how fast I ran. I couldn't hear a single noise, not even my feet against the dark floor. I felt nothing, yet the nothingness was crushing me. Caging me.

It made no sense. I was a son of Apollo, born for the light. Darkness had always been my enemy. But this… this was something more. This was not some regular darkness; this was advanced darkness.

I groaned again. Even with my life potentially on the line, my stupid Apollo-born brain had to come up with another culture reference. Perfect.

Then came the noise.

It was silent at first, playing just below the maximum pitch my ears could pick up. The ringing sound remained oddly constant, refusing to get louder or lower. I just stood in one place, unable to tune it out as it rang throughout my head.

After an unspecified yet agonizing amount of time, the sound left and I was alone in silence again. Had the noise really gone away, or had I just gone deaf? I didn't want to find out.

Slowly, I filled my lungs with air and prepared for the inevitable.

"Hello?" a voice came from deep within my body, but it was not my own. All relief of still having my hearing was washed away by the voice I heard. The voice clearly belonged to someone else, someone I prayed to every god in existence I would never have to hear again.

"It's been so long."

A gust of wind caressed my cheek, drying the tears that were already beginning to form so easily.

"Don't be shy," the voice taunted me with my own body. Every word felt like my own, but it wasn't.

"Come to the light," it coaxed.

But there was no light.

"Oh don't give up so easily," the voice mocked disappointment. "You just have to-"

"Look."

The voice was no longer coming from my own body, but from far away. It was only a whisper, but it echoed throughout the entire area, invading my ears and hammering into my mind. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to shut out the voice, _his_ voice.

Salty tears began to escape from my eyes, and pure terror gripped every muscle in my body, holding me hostage. The voice had been long gone, but it still remained in my mind. The source was left behind, tormenting me.

Then a light.

In the darkness, it was blinding. A tiny light, nothing more, but it meant everything.

'Come to the light,' the voice whispered in my mind. Like a clock with only one purpose, I forced myself towards the tiny light. That light had now become my sole purpose, and I had to do what it said. Everything else was meaningless.

I inched closer to the growing light, every part of me now screaming to stop. Still, I moved forward. And the closer I got, the more my body began to tremble. Tears ran down my cheeks. The only thing controlling me now was fear. A fear I had known but once before.

By the time I reached the light, it was searing into my eyes. My entire body was drenched in sweat, my muscles refused to move another inch, and my brain had all but shut off. A part of me wanted to die.

I wanted to die.

End the suffering. End the pain.

Forget the world.

"Let it die," the voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. Every inch was filled with it. It was oppressive, but only a whisper.

The light.

I looked at the light, the source of everything I loved. The darkness surrounded it, but the light remained firm. When I looked, I saw what I had always wanted. I reached for it, desperately trying to grab what had so easily slipped through my fingers. But just when I was about to touch it, it slipped just out of reach.

I stepped forward again to try to catch it, but it still slipped away.

Try after try, fail after fail, and I still couldn't catch it.

"Silly boy," the voice laughed, mocking me. "Always chasing what you desire, but knowing you will never have it."

My eyes remained on the light, refusing to look anywhere else. It now become my only hope in the wall of darkness closing in on me.

But then the light got bigger, until I could finally see what was inside.

I gazed at the light, curious as to what I may see. Perhaps the Assassins and I on a mission together, or sparring with Ammon in our free time.

Instead, I saw an image.

"Atalanta," I breathed, and the walls collapsed.

I was in an open field, but it was no longer the hill on a forest where Ammon and I had fought. I looked around me, trying to make sense of my new surroundings, but saw nothing but trees for miles.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun was peaking just over the horizon like a shy child, and bands of light were colliding with puffy clouds to create a pink hue. The pink eventually gave way to a brilliant blue and a dusty gray, creating the colors of dawn. Three colors in harmony, painted across the sky like a canvas.

"Ortheus?"

I turned towards the source of the voice and held back a gasp. It was my mother.

She stood on the raised dais in front of our house, the sun shining on her chocolate brown hair. I had always thought she looked most beautiful from that angle, and this only confirmed it.

Mom looked at me with her warm brown eyes, and I found myself melting. I knew those eyes meant safety, comfort, and happiness. When I saw those eyes, I knew I wasn't alone anymore. There were still things to fight for.

As I ran towards her, a wooden structure began to appear behind her; my home.

It was a simple structure. A few logs built into a rectangle with a regular roof to keep the rain out. The cabin had two rooms: one for my mother, and another for Atalanta and me. Smoke was billowing out of the chimney, where my mom was likely cooking her famous pork stew.

"Coming, Mom!" I yelled, rushing towards her waiting arms. As I sprinted past a puddle, I suddenly stopped, looking at my reflection. When I looked at my eyes, I saw the same brilliant blue sparkle I had seen 3,000 years ago, instead of the whirlpools of red and white that had replaced them. My hair was no longer a fiery orange, but a shining blonde that reflected the golden sun. I was normal again.

Oddly, I started to get lost in my own reflection, caressing the hair that I had lost so many years ago and admiring my nearly perfect face.

"Stop checking yourself out and get inside, Ortheus," my mother's laugh cut in. I blushed, feeling like my vain father.

I ran towards my mother and when I got there, she pulled me into a hug. For that one moment, nothing else mattered. It had been over 3,000 years since I felt her embrace, but I only cared that it was now. The colors washes away, the cabin faded into the background, and the sweet aroma of pork stew lost its hold on my senses. There was only her, my mother's arms. So sweet and caring and something I'd always taken for granted.

I buried my head inside her, refusing to leave the comfort I had lost for so long. I knew this couldn't be real, but I couldn't help but feeling like it was. Everything was exactly as it would have been.

But something kept nagging at my mind, telling me it was just a dream. I didn't want to listen. I had finally found my home again, and nothing could take this away.

With difficulty, I finally broke from my mom's embrace and forced myself to look up into her eyes. In them I saw the same loving warmth I had seen so long ago, when she looked at me for the last time.

My heart shattered.

Nothing could touch me now. Nothing could hurt me. I looked into those eyes and I knew I was protected from any evil. The pain of the world was washed away in the eternal depths of her eyes, pulling me closer to safety.

"Come on inside, it's time for breakfast," she smiled, waving me in. My stomach growled at the idea of food. After a hard morning of work, I was certainly ready for it. She laughed again. "Hungry are we?"

I blushed, mentally yelling at my stomach to stop being so loud.

She didn't wait for an answer, though, before dragging me to the breakfast table. There I saw my sister, Atalanta, the same seven-year-old girl I had left all those millennia ago, sitting at the table. As soon as I entered, she ran up and jumped on me; I had just enough time to catch her before she fell over. Swinging her around a few times before setting her down, grins started to plaster on both of our forces.

"Ortheus, guess what?" She was jumping up and down with joy, bubbling like a boiling kettle. "Come on! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?"

"Alright, what is it, Sunshine?" I laughed, ruffling her hair.

"You have to guess!" she whined, stomping her foot. When she did that, I knew there was no way of working around this, or we would be standing here for a very long time.

Mom apparently was afraid of that too, and answered for me. "Our little angel made breakfast," she said, and Atalanta groaned. My mom just laughed, giving me a knowing look.

"You weren't supposed to tell him!" I barely heard it, as I was too happy to comprehend anything else; I turned to her with surprise and pride.

"You made breakfast for us?" I asked incredulously.

"Mmhmm! But Momma helped me!" My sister grinned, clearly proud of her big accomplishment.

"I'm so proud of you," I whispered, because I truly was. "You're getting so big. Making breakfast!"

I didn't think her smile could possibly get wider, but it did. Her mouth was stretched from ear to ear. I couldn't help it; I bent over and brought her in for a hug.

Just like with my mother, I didn't want to leave. Holding my sister in my arms, I felt like a big brother again, one who was able to protect his little sunshine.

Everything was as it should have been. I had my family again, my home, my normal life. The Assassins were but a distant memory, an old wise tale that was given no more than a second thought. The only thing that mattered was this... right here, right now.

The dawn painted sky, my mother's warm eyes, the sweet aroma of stew, Atalanta's brilliant smile, the amazing breakfast she had made… I couldn't think of anything else even coming close. I wanted to give into it, to put my soul to rest and remain in this surreal world.

Only, something kept nagging at me. It was telling me this was all wrong, that I shouldn't be here, that I needed to leave. I ignored it. This was the life I was meant to live, the person I was meant to be. A boring son of Apollo, forgotten by the entire world. No danger, no adventure, but with the family I had always wanted. Born to die.

My sister dragged me over to the breakfast table, pulling up a chair where I could sit down. Still grinning, she fetched the barley bread from our cellar and scooped some pancakes onto my plate.

My mouth watered, and a new aroma permeated the air that was coming from the pancakes which were still fresh. Atalanta poured honey over my plate and hovered at my side to see what I thought.

Looking over the food, I found nothing to be suspicious of. I knew they had all the right ingredients and the pancakes themselves seemed to look okay. Not too black but not too battery; just right. I picked one up with my bare hands and took a bite. It was soft and sweet, melting in my warm mouth.

They tasted just like the ones my mother had always made for us: soft and chewy with honey on the side, and just a hint of olive oil to enrich the flavor. A little taste of heaven.

I smiled in gratification, and Atalanta lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do you like them?" she blurted out, and for a moment I feared she'd burst from anticipation.

"I love them," I said. Smiling, she pulled me into a bear hug and I happily accepted, holding her like that for as long as I could.

Everything was as it should be. My mother stood off to the side, smiling as we continued to embrace. My sister stood in my arms, holding me even tighter than I was if that was possible. For once in a long time, my entire mind and body was at peace. No pain, no fear, no threats. Just a happy family enjoying breakfast.

"Ortheus." My mother broke us from our embrace. "Why don't you take Atalanta with you to practice archery?"

Without even waiting for me to respond, Atalanta jumped with joy and ran to retrieve her bow.

It was a gift I had given to her for her seventh birthday. A simple wooden recurve bow made from the trees that surrounded our house. A horse hair string kept the two ends of the bow in place, and the curves at the end gave it a respectable amount of power without requiring too much strength. It was perfect for her.

"I wish she would stay this way forever," I sighed, smiling sadly at the thought of when my sister would hit puberty and lose her youthful energy. I never wanted that day to come, but I was prepared to make the most of every minute that came before it.

"Then how about we make sure she does?" Mom asked, answering my previous statement.

That was my first hint that something was wrong about this place. I looked into her eyes, but still all I saw was the endless warmth inside, no sign of the cold voice that had just spoken only moments ago.

Shaking my head, I thought nothing of it, chalking it up to my imagination.

A few moments later, the tiny frame of Atalanta limped out of our room, bow in hand. Behind her, she dragged my bow with her, pulling it until she finally reached me and I picked it up. Like Atalanta's, mine was a simple bow, but a regular one. Mine did not have the curves at the end, allowing a greater draw weight, and consequentially more power.

"Do you want me to take that for you?" I extended my empty hand, referring to her own bow. Atalanta shook her head vigorously, tightening her grip on her own bow. A true daughter of Apollo, I mused. One who never wants to let go of her bow. "Follow me, then," I said, turning to the door to go to our training area.

I led her on the short walk to the archery range; it was a mostly private area, with only a few of those closest to me knowing of its location. Until today, even Atalanta did not know of its location. We had a bit of hiking to do, but she handled it well and within a few short minutes we were there.

"Welcome to the archery range, Atalanta," I said, and held my hands out gesturing to the clearing that had become my sanctuary. Atalanta's eyes widened, looking around in awe. She sprinted off, exploring all the different nooks and crannies of my little hideout.

It was just the way I had found it. A quiver laid horizontally on my work table, unfinished arrows scattered all around it- some in need of feathering or a new head. My second bow lazily leaned on the side of the table, having been unused for some time.

The end of a fallen tree stuck out on the other side of the range, holes visible from where it had been hit by countless arrows. A few stray marks riddled the trunks around it from missed shots. Next to the trees were six wooden staffs lined up in a way that they created an 'X' when viewed from the front. Each one stood three yards behind the one in front.

"This place is amazing!" my sister yelled, joyfully throwing her hands up in the air as she ran. I just laughed, grinning at my little sunshine who seemed to be an endless ball of energy.

"What could have been."

I jerked and immediately looked around for the voice, but saw nothing. A part of me told me I had just been hearing things, but there was still a feeling that told me I should investigate. Unfortunately, Atalanta broke me from my thoughts before I could investigate any further.

"What's wrong, Ortheus?" She stared at me with her wide, brilliant blue eyes. I stared at her and lost all resolve, I couldn't tell her.

"Nothing," I lied. "Let's just get to work on your shooting." I guided my sister to the closest marked point to the tree. It was simply a line dug up in the dirt, marking ten yards from the tree I used as a target.

I handed Atalanta a small arrow; the one I had personalized for her bow ahead of time in case this day ever came. She took it in her hand and nocked it in the string. I double checked to make sure she was holding it correctly before nodding. And when I looked at her feet, I saw that her stance was good.

Taking her index and middle finger, she pulled the string back until a finger rested below the chin; the perfect stance. She released the arrow.

It hit just outside of the center. A few centimeters to the left and it would have been a perfect shot. "You're a natural!" I congratulated. Clearly she had gotten archery from Apollo, as I had. She smiled gleefully, obviously proud she had managed to impress me.

We practiced for the rest of the morning, which passed too quickly for my taste. She managed to land a few bulls-eyes, but most of her shots landed just outside center. When I moved her back to the fifteen yard line, she continued to hit outside center, but her shots were slightly more sporadic and a few landed further out. After a few hours of watching her shoot, she begged me to show her. After hesitation, I relented, moving to the furthest point, which was fifty yards.

"You ready?" I grinned, ready to impress her. She nodded, rocking side to side in expectation. I took an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and examined the tree: it was about five feet wide, but at this distance it looked smaller than a foot. I trained my eyes on the target, envisioning the shot hitting dead center over and over again. All my concentration was focused on this one thing, and nothing could break it.

Drawing the strings back, I finally released it. I had known it was a good shot before it had even left the bow, and I was proven correct when the arrow hit dead center, not a millimeter to spare. Atalanta clapped feverishly, jumping up in down. "That was amazing, Ortheus!"

I smiled and gave her a wink. "That will be you one day."

"No, I'll be better!"

I laughed and ruffled her hair. Apollo's children did carry a certain edge of competitiveness.

"You most certainly will be," I promised, and knelt down to meet her eyes. I reached out and pulled her in for a hug. I didn't know why, but it just felt right. Almost like I would never get to do this again. I knew I had to treasure every single moment I had left with her, always believing it would be my last.

The rest of the day carried on uneventfully. I tended to the field and groomed the animals we held, and then we ate lunch. I finally got to have the pork stew that had been watering my mouth all day.

After the sun went down and Apollo's chariot had long since retired for the night, I finally fell into my bed where I was instantly whisked off into a dream. Life was as it should be.

...For now.

My eyes snapped open.

Moonlight filled my eyes, and the cold autumn wind rustled the trees as crickets called to the night sky. I blinked. I was no longer in the dream, but I remembered it as if it were real. It had certainly felt real. How long had I been stuck in there?

When I looked up, I saw Ammon standing over me. At a first glance he looked natural, but then I noticed he was shaking uncontrollably. Had he seen what I had seen?

"Ammon." I couldn't bring my voice above a murmur, more fearful of what I'd hear instead.

"Yes, Ortheus…" The fact that he spoke barely seemed to spark any recognition in him. His eyes were stuck on the horizon, frozen in place. I could almost hear this thudding heartbeat piercing the silence that gripped us.

Growing concerned, I sat up and snapped my fingers in front of his eyes, hoping it would register with him. But his eyes remained fixated on the horizon.

I sucked in a breath. "Gods. He's back," I whispered, almost choking on my own words. I didn't want it to be true, but deep within, I knew it was. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run and hide from what was coming.

"He's back."

Ammon's eyes finally shifted towards me, brown eyes gripped with fear. The same fear I had seen once before... the fear that had taken everything from me…

…3,000 years ago

* * *

 **A/N-And that's a wrap on chapter two. Villain will be revealed in chapter three, though if you've read this story before I started changing it up then you already know who it is. Again, please remember to REVIEW with your thoughts and then FOLLOW an FAVORITE if you enjoyed. Time is money people, and these chapters don't come free. I need encouragement to know my efforts aren't in vain.**

 **gv nrgy pls**

 **~dawsonj26**


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